Little known to many westerners, Southern Arabia, the land of the Queen of Sheba, played an important role in antiquity. Drawn from 70 works—alabaster sculptures, statues, relief carvings and inscribed blocks—dating from the third century B.C. to the third century A.D., this exhibit focuses on the ancient kingdoms of Southern Arabia.

The kingdoms’ wealth was based on two factors: productive agriculture and precious commodity trade with Egypt, the civilizations of the Near East and, later, with the Hellenistic and Roman empires.